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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



OUTLINE LESSONS 



• IN. 



ELOCUTION. 







By PROF. GEO. HUNTINGTON. 

Carleton College, NorMelfi, MM. 






NORTHF1ELD : 

WHEATON Hi, PIERCE, PRINTERS. 
1881. 






TM*' 



6* 



H7^ 



INTRODUCTION. 



The publication of the lectures on Voice and 
Articulation proved so far conducive to the conveni- 
ence of both student and teacher, that those of 
Expression are now added. The book thus com- 
prises an outline of all the general exercises in 
elocution given by the author, except those in Vocal 
Gymnastics. Our study and drill during the spring 
term will have to do chiefly with the subject of 
Expression, although involving continual reference 
to preceding topics. It is needless to say that these 
brief outlines are not intended to teach Elocution, 
apart from oral instruction. 



OC Copyright, -1881. by Geo. Huntington. X> 

\ . . M / 



Voice and Articulation, 



i. 

DEFINITIONS. 

1. Voice. — When the breath is rendered audible, 
for purposes of expression, it is called voice. 

2. Utterance. — The production of voice is utter- 
ance. 

3. Speech. — When voice is divided into sounds 
and syllables, it is called speech. 

4. Articulation. — The formation of s}^llables is 
articulation. 

5. Elocution. — Elocution has to do with both 
utterance and articulation. 

6. Element* of Language. — The various sounds 
and articulations of a language constitute its ele- 
ments, and are represented by letters. 



VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 



IT. 

VOWEL ELEMENTS. 

Of the vowel sounds, called also vocal , and tonic, 
the following are the most important: 

a long, as in late. 

a broad, as in father. 

a (awe), as in ball. 

a short, as in mat. 

e long, as in eve. 

e short, as in yet. 

i long, as in mile. 

i short, as in sit. 

o long, as in no. 

o (oo), as in move. 

o short, as in lot. 

oi. . . . as in oil. 

ou as in our. 

u long, as in use. 

u short, as in but. 

u .... as in full. 

Several other shades of sound may be distin- 
guished; but most of them are due to peculiar 
combinations, and are not distinct elements. 

The most critical of all the vowel sounds, and 
the one most frequently corrupted, is long u. After 
r,' and sometimes after s, it has the sound of oo; in all 
other cases it is exactly equivalent to 



VOICE AXD ARTICULATION. 



The vowel elements should be frequently prac- 
ticed, both separately and in syllabic combinations. 

111. 

CONSONANT ELEMENTS. 

The consonants are sometimes classified accord- 
ing to the organs which they call into use; as labials, 
Unguals-, palatals, etc. It is more simple to classify 
them according to sound. 

1. Mutes. — The consonants c hard, k, p, q, and 
t are called mute, atonic, or non-vocal. They are 
simply articulations, having no sound except in 
combination with other elements. 

2. Aspirates. — Consonants which have a rough, 
or hissing sound, are called aspirates. They are c 
soft, f, h ; r, s 7 x, ch soft, sh, and th soft (as in 
thin). 

3. Semi-Vocal, called also sub-vocal, and sub- 
tonic— These are b, d, g, j, 1, m. n, v, w, j 3 z, ng, 
and th hard (as in thou). Each of them involves a 
certain vocal element, approaching more or less 
nearly a vowel sound. We may classify w and y as 
real vowels, w being nearly equivalent to oo, and y 
to long e, or short i. 

The accurate articulation of consonant sounds 
is of very great importance, and is a test of culture. 

The most delicate of all English articulations, 
and the one most frequently corrupted or neglected, 
is r. It has two sounds: initial i\ as in roll, and 



6 VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 

final r as in door. Two faults are common in 
respect to it; the exaggeration of the initial r, as in 
r-r-r-oll, for roll, and the omission of final r, as in 
haus-cah, for horse-car. 

The consonants should be frequently practiced, 
alone and in combination with each other, and with 
the vowels. 

• 
IV. 

QUALITY OF VOICE. 

Quality refers to the kind of tone produced, and 
to the perfectness of each kind. 

1 The Whisper. — The true whisper is merely 
audible breath, without the least vocal resonance. 
Though the lowest quality of voice, it is one of the 
most trying to the organs. 

2. The Half -Whisper. — When some degree of 
vocal quality is combined with the whisper, it is 
called half- whisper, or breath-tone. To most per- 
sons it is the most trying of all vocal efforts. The 
whisper and the half-whisper are the natural 
expression of fear, awe, secresy, etc. 

3. Pare Tone. — This is the quality required for 
all ordinary uses of the voice. Pure tone is clear, 
smooth, vocal, resonant, sweet. The following 
faults of tone, to which it stands opposed, will help 
us to understand what it is: 

1. Nasal, or nose tone: 

2. Oral, or mouth tone. 



VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 



3. Gutteral, or throat tone. 

4. Pectoral or chest tone. 

5. Aspirated, or breath tone. 

6. Combinations of two or more of the above 
faults. 

4. Orotund. — This is the highest effort of the 
voice, adding to all other qualities that of intense 
feeling, ■ It cannot be described, and can hardly be 
produced, except under the influence of genuine 
emotion; though it is common enough, and easily 
identified when heard. 

The student should practice the whisper, the 
half- whisper, pure tone and orotund, in the utter- 
ance of vowel elements, words and sentences. 

V. 

STRESS. 

Every sound may be regarded as having a begin- 
ning, a middle and an end. 

Stress is the relative degree of force given to the 
different parts of a sound. There are seven kinds 

of stress. 

1. Radical Stress, ;> which puts the greatest 
degree of force upon the first part of the sound. 

2. Terminator Vanishing Stress } <d which puts 
the greatest degree of force upon the last part of 
the sound. 

3. Compound Stress, >< which com bines the 
radical and terminal. 



VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 



4. Median Stress, o which puts the greatest 
degree of force upon the middle of the sound. 

5. Thorough Stress, ZZZ which preserves the 
same degree of force throughout the whole sound. 

6. Intermittent Stress, — — - which consists of 
alternations of greater and less degrees of force. 

7. Explosive Stress, • • • • • a succession of very 
short, clear tones; the vocalization of the jets of 
air projected into the throat in " palate percussion.'' 

Let these different kinds of stress be frequently 
applied to sounds and syllables. Their use in 
expression will be duly explained. 

vr. 

FORCE. 

Force refers to the relative loudness or softness of 
tones, according to the degree of energy with which 
they are uttered. 

From the softest tone to the loudest, the grada- 
tions are very gradual, and almost innumerable; 
but it is convenient to note five principal degrees of 
force: 

1* Moderate. 
% Soft, 

3. Very soft. 

4. Loud. 

5. Very loud, 



VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 9 



The more gradual differences of force may be 
represented to the eye. 

Continuous tone — iffunaar^"' 11 

Separate tones, °oooo0oooo 8 

It is useful to practice the various vowel ele- 
ments with different degrees of force; and very 
important to learn in reading or speaking to adapt 
force to the sentiment, the purpose in view, the 
size of the room, the circumstances, etc. 

VII. 

PITCH. 

Pitch in elocution, as in music, has an important 
relation to melody and to expression. 

It may vary through every note of the scale 
within the range of the speaker's voice; but it will 
be convenient to distinguish five principal positions 
on the scale. 

1. Median, that is, the natural, conversational 
key of the voice, differing greatly in different 
persons. 

2. Low. 

3. Very low. 

4. High. 

5. Very high. 

In the practice of exercises in pitch, it is well fco 
follow the musical scale, both upward and down- 



10 VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 

ward, with the aid of an instrument, or otherwise, 
sounding each vowel upon every note of the entire 
scale. 

This practice, with the use of median stress, is 
one of the best means of cultivating purity of tone. 

VIIL 

INFLECTION. 

Inflection is a change of pitch in the different 
parts of a tone, or the different syllables of a word. 

Slides. — The movements of the voice in inflec- 
tion are called slides. The word slide is also used 
to denote the marks which indicate these move- 
ments. 

The Rising Slide, or Inflection, (/ ) is a change 
from a lower to a higher tone. 

The Falling Slide, or Inflection, (\) is a change 
from a higher to a lower tone. 

The Compound Slide, or Inflection, is a combina- 
tion of the two preceding. If it end with the 
upward slide ( V)> it is called the upward compound; 
if it end with the downward slide, (A)) it i s called 
the downward compound. 

Inflections may vary in length from a semi-tone 
to an octave. 

Those which move by half-tones are called 
minor slides. Those which move by whole tones 



VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 11 

are called major slides. A tone which has no 
inflection is called a monotone. 

Inflection is an indispensable aid to expression, 
and should be freely practiced in both elementary 
exercises and sentences. 

IX. 

T I M E . 

The effect of thought or of language often 
depends upon the time occupied in uttering it. 
Time may be varied in four ways: 

1. By making the vowel sounds longer or shorter. 

2. By articulating the consonants more or less 
deliberately. 

3. By introducing special pauses between certain 
words, clauses, or sentences. 

4. By varying the general rate of movement, 
which may be moderate, fast, very fast, slow, very 
slow. 

The fuller treatment of this topic belongs to the 
subject of Expression, the study of which is deferred 
until the next term. 

CONCLUSION. 

The voice is our chief means of intercourse with 
our fellow men. 

A flue voice is a source of pleasure and of power. 



12 VOICE AND ARTICULATION. 

A bad voice mars every utterance, and torments 
the ears of one's neighbors. 

No voice is so good as not to need training, or 
so poor as to be incapable of it. 

The condition of success in vocal culture is 
systematic and persistent practice. 



^^r 



Expression. 



Under Vocal Gymnastics we studied the various 
vocal organs, and the best ways of strengthening 
them, and of rendering them manageable and 
efficient. 

Under Voice and Articulation we studied the 
various sounds in our language, and the many ways 
in which they may be modified for elocutionary pur- 
poses. 

We now understand, in a general way, the instru- 
ment with which we are to work, the modes of its 
action, and the meaning of the terms employed to 
denote its parts. 

We next come to the application of this knowl- 
edge, that is, to practical elocution. This involves 
two things, — the purpose which the speaker has in 
view, and the means by which he may accomplish it. 

PTJRPOSE OF ELOCUTION". 

Without some definite purpose, effective elocu- 
tion is impossible. The very first question, there- 
fore, is: What do we wish to accomplish I A few of 



14 EXPRESSION. 



the more general objects of the speaker may be 
specified. 

1. Information } as by a simple statement of fact. 

2. Instruction, as by the statement of important 
facts or principles. 

3. The production of some thought or image in the 
minds of others, as when we describe an object, or 
express some mental state or process of our own. 

4. Conviction, as when we use arguments to 
prove what we are saying. 

5. The excitement of feeling, such as reverence, 
fear, hope, pity, contempt. 

6. Influence upon men s actions, as by a call to 
arms, or to the performance of some service or duty. 

The adaptation of expression to the purpose of 
the speaker constitutes no small part of elocutionary 
art, and requires taste, study and skill. 

MEANS OF EXPRESSION. 

These may be divided into five classes: 

1. Verbal expression, or that of language. 

2. Vocal expression, or that of the voice. 

3. Facial expression, or that of the features. 

4. Corporeal expression, or postures and move- 
ments of the body. 

5. Gesticulation, or the expressive use of the hands 
and arms. 



EXPRESSION. 15 



I. • 

VERBAL EXPRESSION. 

This subject belongs to the department of Rhet- 
oric, rather than to that of Elocution. 

It is obvious that elocutionary effects must 
depend, to a very great extent, upon the language 
employed, and will, other things being equal, be in 
proportion to its fitness and force. 

On the other hand, it must be remembered that 
the meaning and power of words can be but imper- 
fectly conveyed without appropriate utterance. 

It is a great mistake to suppose that the few 
dramatic and humorous selections to which public 
readers commonly confine themselves are the only 
ones capable of being expressively rendered Any- 
thing that is well written can be well read; and the 
more quiet the sentiment, the more difficult the 
expression. 

II. 
VOCAL EXPRESSION. 

The various modifications of which the voice 
is capable constitute our principal means of expres- 
sion. They consist chiefly in changes in quality, 
stress, force, pitch, inflection and time, which are 
severally discussed under Voice and Articulation. 
Consulting the statements there given, we see that, 
using only the principal modifications of the voice, 



16 EXPRESSION. 



at least 350 ; 000 are possible; while, by adding 
intermediate ones, the number is easily increased to 
four or five billions. But besides all these , there 
are many subtle qualities, such as resonance, sym- 
pathy, etc., which raise the number almost beyond 
computation. 

The voice of each person combines certain of 
these qualities, natural or acquired, which give it 
individuality. Hence, no two voices are precisely 
alike. 

This natural voice of the speaker is the founda- 
tion of all elocutionary success, and, excepting its 
positive faults, of tone or of utterance, should be 
carefully preserved. 

To the aid of these natural qualities the art of 
the elocutionist brings such others as will best 
enable him to express the thought or feeling to be 
uttered. 

No minute directions can be given which will 
enable the speaker mechanically to produce correct 
expression in all possible cases. Such skill can only 
be acquired by much study and long-continued 
practice. Yet there are certain rules and principles 
which may be profitably heeded. 

GENERAL RULES OF EXPRESSION. 

1. Keep the vocal organs in a sound, vigorous 
and active condition. Weakness or inflexibility in 
them mars every effort. 

2. By frequent and varied practice, get such 



EXPRESSION. J 7 

control over them that they will readily obey the 
will whatever is demanded of them. 

3. Articulate distinctly, and pronounce correctly. 

4. Observe and correct the faults of your voice, 
until the habit of correct utterance is so fixed that 
you need not, when speaking, think of your voice 
at all. 

5. Do not imitate the tone or style of others, 
but develop your own. 

6. Avoid all affectations in voice or utterance. 
An affectation is any unnatural mode of speaking 
assumed for effects Among the most common are 
mincing, mouthing, pomposity, singing, whining, 
semitones, excessive emphasis, and simulated emo- 
tion. 

7. Avoid monotony. Do not form the habit of 
beginning and ending every sentence in the same 
w^ay, or of giving them the same expression, but 
adapt the expression to the sense. 

8. Study the sentiment carefully; make it your 
own; give your yourself up to its influence; practice 
until you are able to express it, and then dare to 
express it just as effectively as you can. Diffidence 
and timidity are the greatest foes to expression. 

9. The ordinary pitch should be such as is natural 
^o your voice, neither too high nor too low. The 
conversational voice is the best te^t. 

10. Force, or loudness of tone, greatly as it may 
vary, should always be sufficient to make one heard. 



L8 EXPRESSION. 



For almost all occasions , a full; strong and sus- 
tained tone is most expressive. 

11. Time is of great importance. Most young 
speakers speak too fast to allow of expression. 
Great care should be used in phrasing, i. e., in 
grouping the words of a sentence into divisions and 
subdivisions, according to their relations. This 
requires the right use of pauses. The omission of 
pauses where they are needed, and their introduction 
where not needed ; are among the most common 
faults of unskillful reading. 

12. Emphasis is the most essential of all elements 
of expression. In every sentence certain words or 
phrases are of more importance than others; these 
should receive emphasis corresponding to their 
prominence, while the less important should be more 
lightly passed over. 

13. In committing to memory any exercise, 
original or selected, let the expression be the first 
thing attended to. and the memorizing of the words 
the last of all. 

PARTICULAR RULES OF EXPRESSION. 

1. Compositions addressed to the intellect only 
require pure tone, radical or median stress, moderate 
force, variable but not extreme pitch, free but not 
long slides, moderate time, distinctness of utter- 
ance, and careful attention to emphasis. Under this 
class come unimpassioned description, narration, 



EXPRESSION". 19 



arguments and commands, statements of facts or 
principles, etc. 

2. Compositions addressed to, or expressive of the 

feelings call into use every variety of tone and of 
utterance. 

(1.) Calm and contemplative emotions, such as 
intellectual, moral or aesthetic pleasure, require 
full, smooth tones, median stress, median pitch, 
moderate time and short slides. 

(2.) Earnest but quiet feeling, such as love, rever- 
ence, adoration, admiration, regret, require nearlv 
the same qualities, excepting that the slides are 
somewhat longer, the stress is more marked, and 
the tone approaches or reaches the orotund. 

(3.) Strong or deep emotions show their intensity 
by increase of force, and by a tendency toward oro- 
tund quality. 

(4.) Grief is manifested by semi- tones, and by 
jntermittant stress. 

(5.) Fear, awe, horror, etc., speak in whispers or 
half- whispers, with a tendency to terminal stress. 

(6.) Scorn and contempt resort to asperated tones 
and terminal stress. The circumflex accent often 
adds effect. 

(7.) Anger, hate, revenge, etc., employ the gut- 
teral quality and the terminal stress. 

(8.) Courage, defiance, etc., speak in loud pur e 
tone or orotund, with radical or terminal stress. 
(9 ) Mirth has great variety of expression, but 



20 EXPRESSION. 



generally chooses high pitch, orotund quality, and 
laughter. 

In some varieties of humor, particularly in wit, 
sarcasm, irony, and often in humorous description 
or narration, the effect is heightened by excessive 
gravity. 

It is evident that two or more emotions ma} 7 be 
combined; also that both the intellect and the emo- 
tions may be addressed at once. This, of course, 
requires a corresponding modification of expression. 

III. 
FACIAL EXPRESSION. 

The actor and the dramatic reader make much 
use of facial expression, particularly in the repre- 
sentation of passion. The ordinary reader has little 
to do w T ith it, except negatively. 

1. Avoid all facial contortions and grimaces. 

2. Do not gesticulate with the lips, eyelids, eye- 
brows, or other features. 

3. Avoid all affected expression, such as smiles 
or frowns, rolling of the eyes, etc. 

4. Cultivate repose, self-possession, and interest 
in your subject. 

IV. 
CORPOREAL EXPRESSION. 

Under this head belong the various postures and 
movements of the speaker's body, excepting ges- 
tures. 



EXPRESSION. 21 



The most important requisites are : 

1. Composure, without dullness. 

2. Animation, without excitement. 

3. Energy, without abruptness. 

4. Dignity, without stiffness or pomposity. 

5. Grace, without affectation. 

PASSING TO AND FROM THE STAGE. 

1. Avoid the appearance of haste, on the one 
hand, and that of lethargy or indolence on the 
other. 

2. Walk quietly, but with energy, neither saun- 
tering nor swaggering, neither on tiptoe, nor with 
scuffling or stamping, neither swinging the arms 
violently, nor holding them stiffly at the sides. 

3. Ascend the stage deliberately, and do not bow 
or begin to speak until you have reached your place 
and taken your position. 

POSITION BEFORE THE AUDIENCE. 

1. Let the head and body be erect. 

2. Face the audience squarely, and look at them 
as you address them. 

3. Let the hands ordinarily hang easily at the 
sides, except when using them for gesticulation. 
Avoid all nervous, fldgetting motions of the hands 
or the fingers. 

THE FEET. 

Five main positions of the feet may be recog- 
nized : 



22 EXPRESSION. 



1. The military position,— the feet side by side ; 
the toes turned outward; the weight of the body 
thrown slightly forward. 

2 and 3. One foot advanced beyond the other; 
the weight of the body chiefly on the forward foot. 

4 and 5. The same positions as in 2 and 3, except 
that the weight rests chiefly on the rear foot. 

Change your position occasionally, but not too 
often, and only by quiet, unobtrusive movements. 
Do not stride back and forth upon the stage. 

THK BOW. 

1. A bow should precede and follow av'ery address 
to a public audience. 

2. The bow should not be blended with other 
movements of the body, as with walking or turning 
around, in coming upon or leaving the stage, but 
should be preceded and followed by a slight pause. 

3. A graceful bow is a slight bending of the 
body at the ankles, the hips and the neck. 

4. Avoid a mere nod, a flourish, or an obsequious 
obeisance. 

V. 

GESTICULATION. 

This term is often applied to all bodily action in 
oratory; but it is more convenient to use it in its 
popular sense, restricting it to the movements of 
the hands and arms. 

No treatise upon gesture can be given here; yet 



EXPRESSION. 



it is important that we learn the system of notation 
by which the different gestures are commonly desig- 
nated, and some of the general principles which 
govern their use. 

THE HANI). 

1. Supine, or extended, open, with the palm 
upward. This is the most common position, and is 
used in assertions, admissions, requests, inquiries, 
and in a great variety of descriptive and emphatic 
gestures. 

2. Prone, "or extended, open, with the palm down- 
ward. This denotes rejection, repulsion, refusal, 
repression, and many other ideas, chiefly negative. 

8. Erect, or extended vertically, open, with the 
palm outwards. This expresses fear, abhorrence, 
aversion, deprecation, etc. 

i. (Jlasjjed, as in supplication or entreaty, or in 
simple repose. 

5. Clenched, denoting anger, defiance, resolution, 
self-control, etc. 

6. Indexed, used in pointing, enumerating, etc. 

THE ARM. 

The arm is the radius of a sphere, within a 
segment of which it moves in gesticulation. If, 
from a vertical position it be carried outward and 
downward, on a line with the body, the hand will 
describe what is called the lateral circle of gesture. 
If it be carried forward and downward, at right 
angles with the former movement, it will describe 



24 EXPRESSION. 



what is called the front circle of gesture. The 
circle midway between these two is called the 
oblique; and the one forty-five degrees back of the 
lateral is called the backward oblique. A circle 
intersecting these at the height of the shoulder is 
called the horizontal; one parallel with the horizon- 
tal, and forty-five degrees below it, is called the 
descending line, and that forty-five degrees above 
the horizontal is called the ascending line. The 
intersections of these seven lines indicate the prin- 
cipal positions of the hand in gesticulation, though 
innumerable intermediate positions are possible. 
The first letter in the name of each circle is used 
to designate it, as f. for front, d. for descending, 
etc. ; while the letters designating intersecting circles 
are combined to denote the gesture in which the 
hand is at the point of the intersection, as d. o. for 
descending oblique. 

SIGNIFICANCE OF GESTURES. 

1. Gestures of Emphasis. — These are appropriate, 
though often unconscious motions, revealing the 
speaker's earnestness, or rendering his words more 
forcible. They partake of the individuality of the 
man, and are hardly subject to rules ; though the 
descending front or oblique is most common. 

2. Gestures of Description .—These serve to locate 
an object referred to, or to make the hearer's con- 
ception of it more vivid, as when one indicates 
height, depth, direction, distance, motion, etc. 



EXPRESSION. 25 



3. Imitative Gestures, — These reproduce acts 
which are described by the speaker. Both descrip- 
tive and imitative gestures are used to give reality 
and vividness to the imagery in figurative language. 

4. Gestures of Expression. — These constitute a 
sort of natural language, expressive of the mental 
state of the speaker. Forward gestures generally 
express intellectual ideas; higher gestures, noble or 
moral ideas : backward gestures, negative ideas. 






OUTLINE LESSONS 



• IN- 



ELOCUTION. 



By PROF. GEO. HUNTINGTON. 

Carleton College, NortMelfl, Minn. 


NORTOTIEif) : 

WHEAT ON ic l'ii:i:rE. PRINTERS. 
iSSi. 

— — 1 



